I just got this from Believer’s Stand United:

“In God We Trust…Again

March 24, 2011

Dear Bill,

Fifty-Five years ago House Joint Resolution 396 passed the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., declaring that the official motto of the United States is “In God We Trust.” This bill passed unanimously from the House, the U.S. Senate and then went on to be signed by President Dwight David Eisenhower.

Though the motto was officially adopted in 1956 its origin and importance can be traced back to the very inception of our Nation when our Founders declared that our Country trusted in Almighty God. In fact the words “In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. coins in the year 1864.

Just a few days ago the House of Representatives once again considered a bill, House Continuing Resolution 13 acknowledging “In God We Trust.” The resolution was introduced by Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia and passed the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. It now goes to the full House for a vote.

If there was ever a time that we should affirm our National motto it is now. Call or e-mail your Member of Congress today and encourage them to vote Yes on H. Con. Res. 13. Find your Congressperson by their name or your zip code at the following: www.house.gov.

Let’s all affirm as loudly as strongly as possible that in the United States of America we still Trust in God…yesterday, today and forever.

Your partners,

Dr. Stephen and Kellie Swisher

Kenneth Copeland Ministries
www.believersstandunited.com

Keeping You Informed”

NC banned prayer in Jesus’ name over six months ago in the Legislature. Now, the ban has been reversed! I just got this email from Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt, and his “Pray in Jesus’ Name” campaign:

“I have GREAT news. YOU just scored another victory for Jesus’ name. Because YOU signed our free petition in July, August, and January, and we faxed over 250,000 petitions to all 170 members of the North Carolina State House and Senate, they have reversed their ban and restored the right to pray in Jesus’ name before legislative sessions.

I just got off the phone with North Carolina state legislator Paul Stam, who announced the North Carolina legislature has now reversed their 6 month ban on prayers ending ‘in Jesus name’ and the new policy is to never screen or censoring prayers, period.

‘We’ve been in session four days now, and on the first day a former Governor [Martin] led the prayer, and he prayed ‘in Jesus name,” said Stam. ‘We also have a new House Speaker [Tom Tillis, R-Mecklenberg County] whose policy is to simply not preview or censor the prayers, and let the person pray however they want to pray. The election made a difference, since we have a new [Republican] majority, and a new government, so we have a new prayer policy too.’

When I asked if this was a written policy, he said ‘the new Speaker’s verbal policy is simply to not pre-screen the prayers. The previous Speaker simply misinterpreted the written policy, but now he’s gone, since his party lost the election.’ In July last year, Democrat Speaker Joe Hackney had improperly fired Pastor Ron Baity as honorary chaplain because the pastor prayed ‘in Jesus name.’

I called Pastor Ron Baity who said he has not yet received an apology for his wrongful termination, but he is glad the policy was reversed. ‘My own representative Larry Brown reached out to me and invited me to come back again and pray in Jesus’ name on the floor, and I hope they can get approval for me to do that in two weeks,’ Pastor Baity said, thanking me for how YOU stood with him by signing a petition to all North Carolina legislators. “I think it’s a good victory. It’s a whole new attitude in this [state] government since the election. This new legislature may even allow the people to finally vote on the [traditional] marriage amendment. We’ve been fighting that battle for seven years.’

North Carolina now makes the 10th major victory we’ve fought and won for the right to pray ‘in Jesus name,’ after previously helping to reverse bans in New York, California, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Oklahoma, Virginia, and for U.S. Military Chaplains.”

Praise God! This is not only a victory for believers, but also against government censorship of free speech!

The State Senate of Hawaii has banned prayer by voice vote, becoming the first of all 50 states to fully ban the traditional practice of allowing visiting pastors to pray before legislative meetings.

Now keep in mind, this is not a ban on just “praying in Jesus’ Name,” which is a terrible trend that is facing us today! No, this is a total ban on all prayer! By anyone, of any religion!

Obviously, anyone that wants to pray in the privacy of their own homes can pray… but, in their government, they have chosen to exclude God. Pray for the state of Hawaii!

Senator Grassley’s Committee that leveled serious allegations against many large ministries, including Kenneth Copeland Ministries, officially ended their “witch hunt.” Those of us that have been part of Brother Copeland’s ministry as partners as long as I have (over 30 years) could have, and in fact, did, tell you so… but now it is official!

Here’s a message I got today from “Believer’s Stand United:”

“January 7, 2011

Dear Bill,

KCM and your BSU team are very happy to share with you important news out of Washington today. The Grassley investigation targeting six faith ministries that began in 2007 has officially ended.

Sen Grassley’s office stated that there were no findings of wrong doing within Kenneth Copeland Ministries and therefore no penalties were levied against KCM.

It was God’s faithfulness and your prayers and support that truly made the difference. Thank you for standing with us for freedom and justice for all people of faith.

The Scripture from II Kings, Chapter 6 comes to mind at this moment. You’ll remember Elisha and his aide were surrounded by forces aligned against them. When his assistant was full of panic, Elisha prayed “Lord open his eyes.”. Then he looked up and saw all of the hosts and angels in full battle regalia. And Elisha said, “There are more with us than there are with them.”. This is a great truth for you to remember in your daily walk of faith.

Join us in thanksgiving to God and in continued prayer for those who represent us in the United States Congress.

Jesus Is Lord,

Dr. Stephen and Kellie Swisher”

Praise God! Now, if only the detractors would be as loud with their “I’m sorry” as they were with their accusations!

The recent outcry and “hubbub” over the Florida “pastor” that threatened to burn a Qu’ran is interesting to me. After all, in Muslim countries like Iran, or Saudi Arabia, it is official state policy to burn the Bible, if one is found. No one fusses… or has news casts on that! Now, as far as I am concerned, I don’t sweat burning a Qu’ran, or NOT burning a Qu’ran. The Qu’ran is not a holy book. It is like burning a phonebook. It is just paper, and it would just burn. No big emotional response for me one way or another.

But then, I wouldn’t get too excited if someone threatened burning a Bible. That may sound radical to you, since you know I am a commited Christian! But think about it… a single copy of the Word of God, the Bible, is just ink on paper. Other than the fact that burning a Bible is disrespectful generally, and specifically a waste of a good copy of the Bible; burning a single copy is not as big a deal as some would make it out to be. Why? Because, though the Bible IS the Holy Word of God, it is the CONTENTS of the Bible that are Holy. Not the ink on paper. I have the Bible on my computer as E-Sword (available FREE from www.e-sword.net on the Internet) And, I have it on my phone (a DroidX) in the form of CadreBible, an app from the Android Market (with Strong’s Concordance, by the way!) Are the electrons that make up these applications “Holy?” No. The Bible is Holy because it is God’s Holy Word, spoken out of His own mouth! Not a single copy of ink and paper… which, I am sure, would burn quite easily. But, His true Word is spiritual and will NEVER pass away! (Luke 21:31)

Now, I find it interesting that the “gentle, peaceful” religion of Islam has so many that are quick to riot, throw fits, and wreak havoc, because one lone nut in Florida wants to burn a copy of the Qu’ran, while poor ol’ reviled Christians in America get a bum rap from the “almighty media” because the same lone nut dared to talk about burning one. Interesting. Which “religion” (I don’t think of Christianity as a religion, but as a relationship to the Living God!) is the more “peaceful?” Hummm….

Many years ago I heard a message that said, in essence, “Is there enough evidence in your life to convict you of being a Christian?” It was an interesting premise. If you are a true, Bible believing, Word of God quoting, and personal life demonstrating Christian, no one should have to wonder if you are, and no one need ask!

Is there evidence in YOUR life? Have you been persecuted for your beliefs? I have, most of the believers I fellowship with have… I have had people tell me recently that I am a wild eyed fanatic… which, by the way, I took as high praise! Apparently, I am doing something right!

So it is interesting that in recent polls, the American people don’t seem to be sure that President Obama is a Christian. Some even think that he is Muslim. Interesting. Why isn’t there enough evidence to convict? Just pondering that.

From Champlain Gordon James Klingenschmitt’s “Pray in Jesus’ Name” newsletter:

“Jailed for Jesus in America…Michigan police arrest Christians for talking to Muslims

Four Christians were arrested and jailed for talking to Muslims about Jesus, by order of police chief Ronald Haddad of Dearborn Michigan, who defended the arrests one week after the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered those same police to let Christian evangelist George Saieg preach openly at a Muslim festival there.

‘We didn’t distribute literature, or preach anything,’ said one of the four jailed evangelists. ‘We spoke only to those people who first approached us, we talked only about Jesus’ love…and within minutes we were handcuffed and jailed.’ But Haddad was unrepentant. “We did make four arrests for disorderly conduct,’ Haddad told Worldnet Daily. ‘They did cause a stir’ [with their free speech about Jesus]. Is talking quietly about Jesus now disorderly, just because some Muslims get angry?

‘Allah Akbar!’ shouted two Muslims as the Christians were taken away in handcuffs, by police who also seized the Christians’ video camera evidence and refused to return video footage of the arrests.

The video is now on YouTube of another group of three evangelists being detained by the same police the very next day, because they distributed the Gospel of John on a public sidewalk outside the Muslim festival. This new video got 15,000 hits in 3 days, after the police told those being held that city policy states Christian literature is not allowed within 5 city blocks of the Muslim festival, creating a ‘banned-Bible zone’ in violation of the First Amendment.

‘The police are enforcing Sharia law in America,’ said one of the four arrested Christians, explaining that Muslim Sharia law is not just about putting Burkas on women, but also prohibits anyone from talking to Muslims about Jesus, and prevents listeners from escaping Islam by converting to any other religion.

Richard Thompson, President of the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC), defends the Christians from the ministry called Acts 17, saying: ‘Contrary to the comments made by [corrupt Dearborn] Police Chief Ron Haddad, our Constitution does not allow police to ban the right of free speech just because there are some hecklers. Not all police officers approve of the way their department treated these Christians.’

TMLC told Worldnet Daily, ‘Judge Paul Borman had affirmed the city’s ban on handing out Christian material near the festival. It was last year when Dearborn police threatened Saieg with arrest if he handed out information on Christianity near the event.’ The city’s ban was temporarily restrained by the Sixth Circuit, but the Police ignored the court, saying the TRO only applied to Saieg, not to any other Christians. On charges of ‘Breach of the Peace’ are: Negeen Mayel, Dr. Nabeel Qureshi, Paul Rezkalla, and David Wood. TMLC reports Mayel, an eighteen year old female, whose parents emigrated from Afghanistan and a recent convert from Islam to Christianity, was also charged with failure to obey a police officer’s orders, [because she raised her voice while being physically violated.] She was approximately 100 feet away and videotaping a discussion with some Muslims when her camera was seized.”

So, the answer to my posting headline, is, sadly, in the current climate… yes! But, make no mistake, we are to preach the Word of God in Jesus’ Name! In the book of Acts, when the disciples were confronted with the same choice, “do we preach the Gospel, or obey the authorities?” Here’s what they did, and said:

“And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts 5:27-32)

What does God say? “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season…” (2 Timothy 4:2) During this sad season of our country, in which we see so much denial of our personal rights, we need to hearken to the Word of God, and preach the Word with boldness!

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel…” (Eph 6:16-19)

Comedy Central has plans to put on a cartoon that will mock our Lord Jesus Christ… after withdrawing plans to mock Mohammed due to fear of radical Islam. See the quote below from the Family Research Council:

“A few months ago, Comedy Central and their parent company Viacom acquiesced to death threats from militant factions of Islam and heavily censored one of their shows from depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad – an act that would be seen as blasphemous to the Muslim world.

It is now becoming clear that the network chiefs have even less respect for peaceful religions like Christianity. Just weeks after refusing to offend Muslims, Comedy Central is now at work advancing a ‘comedy’ that would mock the faith of those who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

The show under production at Comedy Central is no laughing matter. It seeks to openly mock Jesus and essential Christian beliefs. This is nothing new for the tasteless cable channel, which has a history of
depicting the Son of God in manners so disrespectful that I cannot, out of reverence for our Savior, show clips of them.

All of us can tolerate and even welcome discussion over religious differences. But when it comes to mocking the Person Christians believe was God in the flesh, the Savior of the world, under the guise of
humor, we’re compelled to speak out. We ask that you please email Comedy Central’s parent company Viacom, and kindly ask them to not allow this show to make it onto their schedule.

Thank you for taking action today and God bless you.”

Click here to email Comedy Central parent company Viacom to protest the planned animated series entitled “JC” that mocks and blasphemes the Lord Jesus Christ

Sometimes, someone else says it for you! I wanted to share this from the from the Family Research Council:

(U.S. Supreme Court, Church of the Holy Trinity v. U.S., 1892)

In the shadow of America’s most recognizable military stronghold, Rev. Franklin Graham stood on the sidewalk this morning and prayed. It was a poignant reminder that the world can lock its doors to faith–but it cannot keep God out. Despite the Pentagon’s best security, the prayers of the people can still permeate those walls–and every wall of government in this capital city. “Never retreat,” Franklin said yesterday. The waves of attack keep coming, even as the armies of secularism hammer away at America’s gates. Many of these battles go far deeper than the National Day of Prayer–to the very essence of our Christian heritage.

Just this morning, splashed in big letters across today’s New York Times, is a full-page condemnation of religion in society. “God & Government: A Dangerous Mix,” the ad proclaims. Lifting quotes out of their rightful context, these atheizers maintain that ours is a secular nation. At the bottom of the page is an image of Thomas Jefferson next to his statement, “Question with boldness even the existence of God.” In its cherry-picking, the group conveniently ignores that Jefferson had written this advice in a letter to a young man, encouraging him–not to deny God–but to exercise reason in his acknowledgement of Him.

For years, the Left has tried to whitewash our third President’s faith, but it cannot scrub the words etched in his own Memorial. There, Jefferson leaves no doubt as to how deeply reliant he was on God’s principles as the foundation of government. “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.”

As more Americans are seduced by secularism, maybe they, too, will wonder about the famous words of John F. Kennedy Jr., featured on the top of the ad. “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.” That sentence was spoken by the former President in 1960 at the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. It was meant to reassure a largely Protestant America that this Catholic would not impose the Pope’s guidance on America.

But even JFK, some 140 years after Jefferson, understood the importance of faith in government. “The world is very different now,” he said during his inaugural address. “For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe–the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God… Let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

As generations can testify, the freedoms won by the fathers must be maintained by the sons. Nowhere is that more obvious than today in this great nation. More than four centuries after the Pilgrims “…having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith… a Voyage to plant the First Colony,” America’s Christian inheritance is ours to preserve. Although we live in a world where the rooster still crows–some 2,000 years after His resurrection–this is still one nation, under God. And until we give in, it is still one people who refuse to deny Him.

I recently saw a unique interview on Fox News. It was about the uproar in Canada over Ann Coulter speaking on one of their (Canada’s) college campuses. Megan Kelly interviewed a Canadian “journalist” about it. I was VERY enlightening! The “journalist” from Canada said, “We don’t have free speech here, and don’t approve of the ‘absolute free speech’ people claiming anyone should be able to speak.” OK. Makes me glad I am an American, where we DO have the right of free speech. BUT, keep in mind, as our government approves of the “Progressive” notion of government provided health care, mimicking the Canadian system, they also want to create more laws on “hate speech” that would restrict speech here… so, let’s not get too comfortable! We have to be vigilant, or we will lose the very freedoms we cherish!